Duet Direct
5.10+,
Trad, Alpine, 200 ft (61 m), 2 pitches,
Avg: 3.9 from 85
votes
FA: Hartrich, Schwarm 1974
New Hampshire
> Cannon Cliff
> 2. Duet Area etc
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Details
Description
Duet Direct is a stout and neglected two-pitch route near the popular one pitch climbs of Slow and Easy and Sticky Fingers. The first pitch is an excellent warm up for the business on the second pitch. Here, expect Devil's Tower-style stemming and Yosemite-quality granite. I'm surprised that this excellent and well-protected route doesn't get more traffic.
Pitch 1 (5.8, 100ft): Climb up thin but seemingly sold flake systems, using a combination of techniques. This pitch is fun and leads to a comfortable stance and a belay/rap station.
Pitch 2 (5.10+ 120ft): Climb the steep corner by stemming, jamming, and laybacking--sometimes using all three techniques at once. This pitch is very well protected and given the steep angle and the solid, clean rock, it's easy to forget you're at Cannon. Finish the route at a two bolt anchor on a perfect ledge.
Descent: Ideally, use double 70m ropes to rap to the ground. Double 60m ropes MIGHT make the ground with rope stretch, but be sure to tie knots in case yours have shrunk! A single 70m MIGHT make the fixed-gear belay at the top of P1; but again be sure to tie knots in case you come up short! At any rate, be mindful of where the rope runs, as the cracks can be rope-eaters.
Location
Duet Direct climbs up the left side of Duet Buttress, which is located left of the central wall and right of the Black Dike area. It is identified by the soaring, steep, and clean dihedral on the second pitch.
Protection
Cannon rack plus doubles in the mid-sizes (from yellow Alien through yellow Camalot), helmet, calves of steel.
![Looking down after the climbing eases up... might have run it out a bit out of joy over the sweet hand crack]()
[Hide Photo] Looking down after the climbing eases up... might have run it out a bit out of joy over the sweet hand crack
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Lowell, MA
southern colo
Estes Park, CO
Dover, NH
Plymouth/ North Conway (NH)
Plymouth, NH; Lander, WY
Plymouth/ North Conway (NH)
southern colo
Salt Lake City
southern colo
Stone Ridge, NY
Seattle, WA
No single move felt like .10+. Instead the crux is very long with a bunch of stacked .10 moves in a row. Shake out and keep going!
For those interested:
- Gear: If this is at your limit and you want to sew it up (like I did), climb the pitch with triples of #.75 and #1 cams. Doubles of the #.2 X4 are nice for when things get thin and you want gear. Keeping doubles of #.3, #.4, and #.5 is nice, even if superfluous (good psych pro, I guess). 1 #2 and 1 #3 should do the trick post crux and on up to the anchors. Take any extra finger-sized pieces that help keep your head game in check about leading this long pitch... or just be a rope gun...
- Rappel: 2 60m ropes will JUST make it down to the ground. Another team that rapped from Raven Crack (shared rap anchor at the top of the Duet Buttress) reached the easy ledges a few feet off the ground (easy, short down-scramble); 2 70m ropes will be plenty (what we did) . Otherwise, plan on rapping to the first belay station (fixed nuts and a hex), but even then, one 70m rope is cutting it close... Jul 30, 2014
Plymouth, NH; Lander, WY
southern colo
Bend
New Hampshire
Concord NH
is there another variation to get to that same belay that goes at 5.8? I looked around but the most obvious line is P1 Duet. that worked well enough and was an interesting climb. Aug 1, 2016
Conway, NH
Seattle, WA
New Hampshire
Victor, MT
I agree with the rack suggestions. Save a #2 for the last 30 feet and you can bump it all the way with you. I like to have doubles from #1 mastercam to 0.75 for the business middle section. If you're going to be pumped and nervous at the top, a #3 perfectly protects the final moves to the anchor, but isn't strictly necessary. Jul 15, 2019
Wolfeboro, NH
Bristol, NH